


R A D I O || baby driver

by Lucifers_Left_Lung



Category: Baby Driver (2017)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-01-18 21:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12396465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucifers_Left_Lung/pseuds/Lucifers_Left_Lung
Summary: River Michaels has never been what one would call a "good kid". Moving from foster home to foster home throughout her short life has made sure of that. Though she wears a tough exterior, River is nothing more than a scared girl who has no one to turn to. And when she gets caught up in Doc's games, she has no way out.Until she meets Baby, who is determined to save them both.{short story : 10 parts}©2017//Lucifers-Left-Lung





	1. Chapter 1

_**track 01: trouble - sleeping with sirens** _

River walked into the room, her heart flying in her chest, feeling as though it might burst through it at any moment and land on the floor in front of her. She should have known that Doc's help meant that she would owe him more than just money. She was going to have to work for that money, she may even end up paying with her life. Not that that was worth much, anyway. River was a 22-year-old who had no direction. And even if she found a direction and a destination, she had no way of getting there. So instead of even trying to fix her life and shit personality, River was just letting life guide her.

The only problem was that life was a bitch.

Doc was the only person there at the moment and River felt her stomach turn. It wasn't that Doc was a particularly scary person - not at first glance. But River had seen Doc rip families apart firsthand. She knew exactly what he was capable of. And it terrified her.

Warily, River took a seat at the far end of the table, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. It was a defense mechanism, one she had mastered over the years. Maybe if she made herself small enough, she would be invisible. It was a ludicrous thought, one that never worked, but it still made River feel the smallest bit safer. 

Doc's eyes were on her and she stared right back, attempting to mask the fear that she was sure was evident on her face. Doc smiled. "No need to be afraid, River," he said. "Just a few more runs and your debt will be paid. Then you can go crawl back into whatever hole you dug yourself out of."

River wanted to glare at him, she wanted him to see just how much she despised him, how much she _hated_ him. Instead, her expression remained the same and she simply prayed that he would stop talking to her. Every time Doc spoke, all River could hear was the screams of her mother. She shut her eyes and swallowed to keep from crying. To cry in front of this man, in front of any of them, would only make her appear weak. And if she was ever going to get out from under Doc's thumb, she could not be weak.

Darling and Buddy walked in, all over each other, as usual. River had worked with them once before and she didn't care much for the couple. They were selfish and rude, but River supposed that was the name of the game. This game, at least. Griff walked in a moment later and I tried to keep from looking at him. He was intimidating, to say the least, but it was the way his eyes always cut to me, they way he smirked at me, that made me shiver. 

"You're in Baby's seat," Buddy said. I glanced up to see Baby standing beside me, earbuds in per usual. He had already passed out the coffee, now we were just waiting to get paid. Some of us.

Unfolding my legs, I stood and gave Baby his chair. Reluctantly, I took the next chair over, only one seat down from Griff. He winked at me and I turned away, only to see Baby watching us, that same blank expression on his face as before. Baby rarely said anything, just like me. The two of us had never even spoken a word to each other and we'd been working together for weeks now. That seemed to be the way he preferred it. Me, I just wanted to pay Doc back and get far away from these people. I wasn't here to make friends.

Doc separated everyone's cut and put it in bags, handing them to each of us respectively. Baby and I would only be returning the bags to Doc a few moments later in the car park. Then we would go our separate ways, pretending the other didn't exist until Doc called us back again. That was what life had been like for the past month or so for Baby and I. A different crew each time, a different spot to hit. The only things that always remained the same were Baby and I, and us giving away our earnings. If you could call robbing people "earning".

Griff slid into the chair beside me and leaned over, tucking a strand of dark hair behind my ear. I flinched away, not looking at him. Griff had to have a good ten years or so on me, but he didn't seem to mind. "Now that we're paid," Griff said, "how about you and I finally go out?"

Buddy, Doc, and Darling were talking at the other end of the room, paying us no mind. But I could feel eyes on me; I glanced up to see Baby watching us again. Griff followed my gaze and met Baby's eyes. He made a face. "What the fuck are you lookin' at?" he asked. Baby didn't reply. "Oh, right. There's nothing going on in there." Griff shook his head and went back to ignoring Baby, focusing on me again. "So, what do you say? Anywhere you want."

"No, thanks," I said quietly. 

"What?" Griff said.

"She said no," Baby replied before I could speak. 

Griff glared at him and stood, clearly ready for a fight. He was always ready for a fight. "Stop," I said sternly. I wasn't quite sure where my sudden bout of courage had come from. Maybe I was just finally getting sick of all this shit. Or maybe it just wasn't right of me to let Baby take up for me, and possibly take a beating for me. Griff was the violent type and I had never been one to let someone else take the fall for me. No matter the case. 

My mind flashed back to my mother, but I tried to tell myself that was different. I knew it wasn't.

"I'm not going out with you," I told Griff.

"Griff, take your money and go," Doc said, his voice dissipating any argument that was about to burst from Griff's lips. "I'll call you."

Griff huffed angrily, grabbed his bag of cash, and stormed out. I didn't look at Doc. I didn't want him to mistake it for a thank you. I didn't owe him thanks for anything. And once I'd paid him the cash I owed him, I hoped to never see him again.

"Thank you," I said to Baby. He nodded once and walked out.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_ **track 02: r.i.p. 2 my youth - the neighbourhood** _

Doc took my bag of cash, then Baby's, along with our burner phones, placing them both in the trunk of his car, and the phones in his pocket. He handed us each a new one and a stack of cash. I stared down at the money in my hand with a quiet sigh. How many more runs would I have to do in order to pay Doc back? 

"One more, Baby," Doc said. "And then your debt is paid." Doc looked at me. "You've got a ways to go, honey."

I pursed my lips, but remained silent. There wasn't really anything to say. I would be right back here in a week or so to do it all again. Doc knew that. He knew that he had me in the palm of his hand, that I would have to do anything and everything he asked of me. If he wanted me on more runs after I'd paid him back, I would be. Because I had seen what Doc was capable of. And I never wanted to see it again.

"Why don't you kids go get some breakfast?" Doc suggested, patting Baby and I each on the shoulder.

Baby glanced at me and I was surprised when he nodded. I put my stack of cash in my purse and followed after him. Neither of us bothered to say anything else to Doc. I got the feeling that, just like me, Baby wanted nothing more to do with the man than we had to. I was always happy to get away from the lot of them, except Baby. He was the only who didn't make me uncomfortable. It was awkward between us, but that was mainly because we rarely spoke to anyone, let alone each other.

"There you go," Doc called as we walked away. "Cute couple. I'll be calling you both."

Baby and I walked in silence all the way to Bo's Diner. I hadn't ever spent much time in the place, but I knew Baby liked it. This was where he always picked up our coffee, and I had seen him there a few times as I passed by. 

We took a seat in a booth and stared across the table at one another. Maybe he didn't know what to say―I knew I didn't. Either way, things were beginning to get awkward.

"Am I interrupting something?" the waitress asked, her Southern accent thick.

Baby and I broke eye contact and looked up at the waitress. "I'll have the waffles," Baby said in his own Southern accent. He looked at me.

"Same thing," I said.

The waitress smiled. "Okay," she said. "Be right out."

Baby and I made eye contact again. He had his earbuds in, as usual, his iPod on the table in front of him. I leaned forward to see what he was listening to and quirked a brow. This boy was always surprising me. "You like The Neighbourhood?" I asked him.

Baby narrowed his eyes. " _You_ like The Neighbourhood?" he replied.

"I like lots of things." I sat back in the booth, my arms crossed over my chest.

"Do you like your job?" 

I frowned. "Do you?" I retorted.

Baby smirked. "I like to drive."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"You didn't answer the question."

I rolled my eyes. This back-and-forth was starting to annoy me. "I hate the job," I admitted. It felt so good to say it; I hadn't realized what a relief it would be to say something so simple. "I hate everything about it. I hate Doc. I hate that he has a hold over me. I hate Griff and Darling and Buddy."

"And me? What do you think about me?" Baby asked.

"I think it's weird that you've said more just now than I've heard you say in the past few weeks all together."

Baby smiled a crooked smile as the waitress brought us our food. I wasn't really hungry, but I was actually enjoying this time with Baby. I didn't have many friends in Atlanta and even though Baby and I would probably never really be friends, it was nice to just have someone to talk to. I was sure, though, that after he'd paid his debt after this next job, I would probably never hear from him again. I couldn't blame him. I'd want nothing to do with Doc or anyone associated with him if I'd gotten out.

"So," I said. "What do you do when you're not...working?"

Baby chewed his waffles slowly and mulled it over. He finally shrugged, opening his mouth to answer. The bell over the door dinged, stopping him. I turned to see Griff strutting with a smirk on his face as he slid into the booth beside me. Baby's face was expressionless, but he put his sunglasses on, pulling out his iPod to change the song. I wondered what he was changing it to.

 


	3. Chapter 3

_**track 03: the man - the killers  
** _

"We never got to finish our conversation earlier," Griff said with a devilish grin. My eyes cut from him to Baby as I slid as far from him as possible, until I slid into the wall. Griff looked over at me and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer, until I was snuggled against him. "Where you goin', sweetheart?"

I considered fighting him off, but I didn't want to cause a scene and I had nowhere to go, anyway. Baby was watching the two of us from his spot on the other side of the table, his iPod still laying in front of him, his fingers tapping to whatever new beat was playing. Baby's expression remained unreadable as Griff reached across the table with his free hand and took the music player, examining what Baby was listening to.

"You like this shit?" he said, making a face.

Griff shook his head when Baby didn't respond or even acknowledge his comments, dropping the player carelessly onto the table. As I'd feared, Griff returned his attention to me, his arm still draped over my shoulders as he leaned in closer to whisper to me. My eyes never left Baby's, my skin crawling at Griff's touch. 

"So you can come have breakfast with this freak, but not with me?" Griff said. I could feel his warm breath on my face, chest pressed against my shoulder, but I didn't move. "What's he got that I don't?"

"A good taste in music," Baby said, his voice monotone.

Griff slowly lifted his head and looked at Baby. "Nobody asked you, _Baby_." 

"You asked her to breakfast, she said no. Weren't you leavin' town?"

Griff moved his arm from around my shoulders and leaned forward on the table. "You think you're better than me or somethin'?" he asked Baby. Griff yanked the earphones from Baby's ears and grabbed the iPod, throwing it across the diner. Both the waitress and the man at the bar jumped. 

"That's enough," I said, finally finding my voice. Baby wasn't looking at me; his gaze was fixed intently on Griff. "How 'bout this? You leave Baby alone and I'll go on a date with you."

Griff smirked. "Deal," he said, winking at Baby. "I'll pick you up tonight at seven."

When Griff was gone, I slid out of the booth and went to retrieve Baby's smashed iPod. With a sigh, I laid it on the table in front of him and took my seat again. He didn't look at the broken player, instead keeping his brown eyes on me. I knew what he was thinking. Hell, I was thinking the same thing. But I had to do what Griff wanted to keep him off Baby's back. Besides, Baby was almost done with all of us. Soon, I wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.

"You're going out with that guy?" Baby asked me. "For real?"

I shrugged. "Don't really have a choice now, unless you want him to keep bothering us," I replied.

Baby shook his head. "I'm not worried about Griff." Standing, Baby dropped a ten dollar bill on the table. "Don't go out with him," he said and left the diner just as our food arrived.

 


End file.
